Sunday, February 19, 2012

"Dark Ambient Metamorphosis" is my attempt at writing something completely modern with a Lovecraft vibe. I don't use any of his creations, yet the story has elements that 'feel' like they would fit into his world, perhaps. I used to write music journalism, including a million and a half or so music reviews. I took that knowledge and my love of weird music--dark ambient, power electronics, noise, all the side avenues of sound that relate--to create this story, which might also have a Clark Ashton Smith vibe, if only for the use of sound as an instrument in, well...wait a minute! I cannot tell you everything. You simply have to click on the link and check it out, as well as the other stories, as I will be doing right after I post this. I've enjoyed reading previous issues of the Lovecraft eZine, so I'm quite happy to be a part of the TOC in this one.

When you click on that link, you have the option of reading the story as well as listening to it! Yes, this is the first audio take of one of my stories and it's sensational. Mars Homeworld does the reading and some special tweaking for the alien language that is sooooooo damn good. My hats off to Lovecraft eZine for the great presentation, the strangebeautiful artwork by Galen Dara, and this truly unique reading because...because...How in the world did he learn to speak that bizarre language so fluently? Hmmm...I wonder if Mars Homeworld is even really human.

O.o

I'm in impressive company, what with A.J. French, W.H.Pugmire & Jacob Henry, Mike Davis, Patricia Correll, and Brian M. Sammons. Thanks to everybody involved. Good reading to be had there!

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I should also point you in the direction of my latest interview. I'm up at Wombat World, a blog by the excellent writer and Internet Royalty, Kate Laity. It's her Writer Wednesday feature and I had a lot of fun answering the questions. Looks great, too. Here's the link:

I also had one of my personal fave short stories I've ever written, "Broken Teacup," published in the inaugural issue of Grave Demand, a magazine and story I will get into more once I am holding it in my hands and they have their ordering links set up. This one needs more talk, because it's a story that goes to places you cannot even imagine.

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Also (another 'also,' John Claude; c'mon, you're pushing it!) sold a story to the Peep Show Volume 2 anthology, which is a wild bit of circularity. Is that a word? I don't care, I'm going to coin it now for this tidbit. I had a story way back in...what was it? 2004? I had a story published in the first volume of that anthology, "The Sunglasses Girl," under my former pen name, John Kiel Alexander. Well, I'm back in the follow-up volume using my real name with a story called, "The Misfits of Mayhem Meet Their Match." Yes, alliteration madness prevails! Can you stand it? :-P

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Speaking of which...the collection. Here's the pertinent links for The Dark is Light Enough for Me.
Enjoy, buy it and make me happy, check out the new reviews; heck, check em alllllll out!